Stats: Who has been the best goalkeeper in the Premier League this season?

It is stiff competition between Petr Cech, Joe Hart and Jack Butland

Petr Cech has kept the most clean sheets this season along with Joe Hart

The Premier League this season has seen a number of goalkeepers turn hero as they help their sides go home with all three points. Clean sheets have been few and far in between but the shotstoppers from the top sides have been vital to their position in the league table.

Most saves

After 22 games, it is Stoke City’s 22-year-old English goalkeeper Jack Butland who leads the way with 80 saves so far. It is one of the reasons why the Potters are seventh in the table. At the top of the table are Arsenal and their only summer signing is in second place with 75 saves. Petr Cech was meant to save the Gunners ‘12 to 15 points a season’ according to former Chelsea teammate John Terry and he has done exactly that.

The two goalkeepers were the heroes last Sunday when the Gunners held Stoke to a 0-0 draw at the Britannia. Butland himself was present to give away the Man of the Match award to Cech – two goalkeepers who had the utmost respect for each other despite the rivalry between the two clubs.

Everton’s Tim Howard is also tied for second with 75 saves. After a relatively poor season last time out, the American goalkeeper has come back strong this campaign. The other goalkeepers to have made more than 70 saves are West Ham’s Adrian and Sunderland’s Costel Pantilimon.

Most saves in 2015/16 so far

#

Player

Club

Age

Appearances

Minutes

Saves

1

Jack Butland

Stoke City

22

22

1980

80

2

Petr Cech

Arsenal

33

22

1980

75

Tim Howard

Everton

36

22

1980

75

4

Adrián

West Ham United

29

19

1709

71

5

Costel Pantilimon

Sunderland

28

17

1530

71

6

Boaz Myhill

West Bromwich Albion

33

22

1980

64

7

Brad Guzan

Aston Villa

31

20

1800

64

8

Heurelho Gomes

Watford

34

22

1957

62

9

Kasper Schmeichel

Leicester City

29

22

1890

59

10

Lukasz Fabianski

Swansea City

30

22

1980

58

Saves per goal conceded

When we look at the saves per goal conceded ratio, Stoke City’s Butland is ahead of Cech in this aspect too. Both clubs have a similar defensive record with Arsenal having conceded 21 goals while Mark Hughes’s side have conceded 22.

Jack Butland is proving to be one of the finest goalkeepers in the Premier League this season

The English goalkeeper has been a revelation this season and is a serious contender to take Hart’s place in the England setup in the future. The two other goalkeepers who have made 3 or more saves per goal conceded are Adrian (West Ham) and Hugo Lloris (Tottenham Hotspur).

Saves per goal conceded in 2015/16 so far

#

Player

Team

Appearances

Saves

Saves per Goal

1

Jack Butland

Stoke City

22

80

3.63

2

Petr Cech

Arsenal

22

75

3.57

3

Adrián

West Ham United

19

71

3.22

4

Hugo Lloris

Tottenham Hotspur

21

51

3

5

Joe Hart

Manchester City

20

46

2.87

6

David de Gea

Manchester United

18

48

2.67

7

Heurelho Gomes

Watford

22

62

2.48

8

Tim Howard

Everton

22

75

2.34

9

Kasper Schmeichel

Leicester City

22

59

2.27

10

Costel Pantilimon

Sunderland

17

71

2.15

Clean sheets

But when it comes to clean sheets, Joe Hart and Cech have the same – 10 clean sheets. But the English goalkeeper has made two lesser appearances, with Willy Caballero playing twice this season.

Safe hands – Joe Hart has kept 10 clean sheets in 20 games

Although Butland has more clean sheets (9) than Manchester United’s David De Gea (8), the Spanish goalkeeper has played lesser games having not started a single match until his transfer to Real Madrid collapsed.

Clean Sheets in 2015/16 so far

#

Player

Team

Appearances

Clean Sheets

Clean Sheet %

1

Joe Hart

Manchester City

20

10

50

2

Petr Cech

Arsenal

22

10

45.4

3

David de Gea

Manchester United

18

8

44.4

4

Jack Butland

Stoke City

22

9

40.9

5

Wayne Hennessey

Crystal Palace

16

6

37.5

6

Heurelho Gomes

Watford

22

8

36.3

7

Maarten Stekelenburg

Southampton

17

6

35.2

8

Hugo Lloris

Tottenham Hotspur

21

7

33.3

9

Simon Mignolet

Liverpool

21

7

33.3

10

Boaz Myhill

West Bromwich Albion

22

7

31.8

Data courtesy of the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, the Official Player Rating Index of the Barclays Premier League